1. How do coaches foster the coaching relationship?
Elizabeth Crosse | Maximum Coaching

2. Introduction Why? – Purpose, background and context
How? – Research, approach and methodology
What? – Results and inferences
So what? – Implications for coaches and coaching

3. Why this research? A recognition that:
the relationship is key to the successful outcome of the coaching process.
the ability to establish, maintain and develop the relationship is a core coaching capability
coach education and development needs to move beyond competency-based training
Lack of exploration of:
the practitioner’s perspective; how do they make sense of the coaching relationship?
how coaches develop their ability to foster coaching relationships in practice.

4. Aim and objectives The aim: Objectives:
To consider the way practitioners make sense of the coaching relationship in order to provide insight into how his capability is realised in practice.
Objectives:
Identify key themes from the literature on what, in theory, is important to fostering the coaching relationship
Elicit the range of ideas on what, for coaches, is important in managing the coaching relationship
Explore how coaches make meaning of the coaching relationship, identifying any predominant shared viewpoints
Synthesise the findings in the form of a framework to invite a discussion on how practitioners can develop this aspect of their coaching repertoire.

5. The approach Informed by adult learning theory:
Our ability to act is underpinned by how we individually construct, interpret and apply meaning to a concept
Used Q Methodology:
Offers a systematic exploration of the subjectivity using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods
Used to explore the range of ideas on what was important to practitioners about managing the coaching relationship.

7. The participants
Participants needed to have an informed view of what ‘fostering the coaching relationship’ meant.
Focus on internal and external coaches who delivered one-to-one coaching in an organisational setting
Male
Female
Internal
External
>7 yrs.
>10 yrs.
> 750 coaching hrs.
Number 19 60 25 54 39 35 38
% of Group
24%
76%
32%
68%
49%
44%
48%

8. The Q set items (1) Item Statement 1
Be concerned about my client's welfare 16
Demonstrate a deep understanding of my client 2
Meet face to face rather than virtually (Skype, Zoom, etc.) 17
Be physically attractive 3
Fully explore my client's thinking (their assumptions, beliefs, stories) 18
Like my client as a person 4
Use self-disclosure 19
Offer challenge 5
Manage time effectively 20
Encourage my client to explore their feelings and emotions 6
Be seen as a credible professional 21
Admit my mistakes whatever the consequence 7
Be highly empathetic 22
Be aware of my impact on my client 8
Ensure my client has 'homework' between sessions 23
Mutually agree on what it is important to work on (i.e. Their goals) 9
Have my client's respect 24
Have fun 10
Take action straightaway if my client appears disengaged 25
Come across as being confident 11
Act on my intuition 26
Respond spontaneously to what arises in the moment 12
Discuss boundaries and ethical issues 27
Use a coaching model (GROW, OSKAR etc) 13
Be honest whatever the cost 28
Dress appropriately 14
Have a developmental (learning) outcome 29
Take an unpopular stance rather than compromise my principles 15
Be helpful 30
Be non-judgmental whatever my client says or does

9. The Q set items (2) Item Statement 31 Focus on the here and now 46
Ask my client to give me feedback 32
Give feedback on how I experience my client 47
Offer my views and opinions 33
Be clear that we are equally responsible for the coaching relationship 48
Discuss our relationship 34
Offer reassurance 49
Consider my client's organisation as my first priority 35
Prioritise the building of mutual trust above everything else 50
Have confidence in the inherent value of my coaching 36
Be liked by my client 51
Focused, active listening 37
Worry about my performance as a coach 52
Share my knowledge about the topic 38
Create a sense of ease throughout the session 53
Offer hope 39
Push my client to achieve their goal 54
Be able to coach any type of client 40
Have total belief in my client's potential 55
Get beyond the presenting issue 41
Explain the reasoning behind using a specific intervention 56
Ask thought provoking questions 42
Explore fully what my client wants from the session 57
Interrupt when my client 'waffles' 43
Keep my client on their agenda 58
Share my own feelings of fallibility 44
Be prepared to cause my client to feel uncomfortable 59
Discuss how success will be measured 45
Give advice when my client does not know what to do 60
Have prepared worksheets for the coaching session

10. The Findings 4 distinct perspectives which reflected:
A range in the way coaches:
make sense of how manage the coaching relationship
work with complexity, conflict, ambiguity and holistic understanding
Dimensions of adult development and ego maturity:
cognitive – reflective
intra and interpersonal

11. Equality and Exploration
‘It is about reflecting on the here and now of our relationship and how that illuminates the coaching objectives / areas of exploration – reflexivity in the moment’.
Shared responsibility and exploratory focus for building the coaching relationship.
Willingness to be explicit about interactions that impact the relationship
Inviting vulnerability coach and client
Less emphasis on structure and goals

12. Supportively Connecting
‘The relationship is the most important thing, before process. Once the relationship is in place the process can follow’.
Value put on creating a mutually accepting relationship in a safe supportive working environment.
Non-judgmental acceptance
Important for the client feeling positively about the coach
Less emphasis on developmental (learning outcomes)

13. Pragmatic and Professional
‘My focus is on the issue(s) relevant to my client, and my role is to support them in looking at these afresh and consider how they may be able to change what they do, and/or develop new thinking and new skills’.
Focus on the goal and task
Cognitive approach
Important to be seen as a credible professional who delivers
Less empathise on than the person to person aspects of relationship building

14. Empathic and Consultative
‘Coaching should be in a positive, optimistic mind-set, so having fun is essential. As a coach I need to listen and understand from the coachees perspective. To make it change something, I like to give homework, specific, detailed tasks’.
Highly empathic and goal orientated
Uses a structured frameworks created by the coach
Shares knowledge and give advice when the client is stuck
Less importance on addressing relationship issues / dynamic

15. Consensus Items More important Fully explore my client’s thinking
Focused, active listening
Ask thought provoking questions
Have confidence in the inherent value of my coaching
Less important
Offering views and opinions
Being physically attractive
How we work (face-to-face / Skype, etc.)

16. Four views on the coaching relationship
Concept
Factor 1
Equality in Exploration
Factor 2
Supportively Connecting
Factor 3
Pragmatic and Professional
Factor 4
Empathic and Consultative
The Working Alliance
Emphasis on the bond
Emphasis on goals and task
Emphasis on goals and tasks
Stein’s Relational Frame
Believer
Supporter
Challenger
Heron’s Intervention Style
Discoverer
Informer
Theoretical Approach
Relational
Person centred
Solution focused
Positive psychology
Role of the Relationship
Coaching is the relationship
The relationship is essential to facilitating the process
The relationship is necessary to facilitating the process
The relationship informs the way in which I work

17. ‘Coaching maturity’ v relationship building approach
Coaching maturity approach
Relationship building approach
How coaching maturity is reflected in the way the relationship is built
Model based
Empathic and consultative
Likely to use a model base approach and provide structure for how the coach build the relationship with the client
A greater focus on the coaching approach and intervention rather than the relational dynamics.
More willing to share advice in supporting the client and taking them where the coach thinks they need to go
Process based
Pragmatic and professional
Focuses on the achieving the clients desired outcome, the solution
Engages more cognitively than emotionally
Values working collaboratively with the client but places a greater importance on applying the process to meet
Philosophically based
Supportively connecting
Importance is placed on being responsive to the client needs
Exemplifies beliefs in the clients potential and the task element of building the relationship has a developmental focus
Uses a facilitative style with an emphasis on contextualising the client issue within their own perspective and enabling the client to do things themselves
Systems eclectic
Equality and exploration
Responsive to how they are being with the client placing a great importance on understanding what is going on between themselves and the client and encouraging self-awareness
Willing to sit with uncertainty and allow the issue and solution to emerge solution
Little reliance on any specific techniques or processes it’s about responding to the client and their context in the moment

18. A developmental framework for the ability to foster the coaching relationship
The structured or unstructured continuum reflects the emphasis placed on achieving goals and outcomes rather than an exploratory dialogue The coach-client led continuum encapsulates the amount of shared responsibility for creating the working relationship

19. So what?
For discussion
What are the implications for a suggestion that the way in which we create coaching relationships is influenced by our adult developmental journey for:
Initial coach training?
On-going development and reflective practice?
Working with clients?

20. Thank you.